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Audience Production Guide
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Audience Production Guide
Choreography by Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky
Staged and Directed by Terrence S. Orr
Costumes and Scenic Design by Santo Loquasto
Music by Ludwig Minkus
April 11-13, 2014
The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts
Student Matinee Sponsor
Free Ticket Program
The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Education Department is grateful for the support of the following
organizations:
Allegheny Regional Asset District
Allegheny Technologies, Inc.
Buncher Family Foundation
Anne L. and George H. Clapp Charitable and
Educational Trust
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Cleveland Brothers Equipment Co., Inc.
Direct Energy Business
Dominion Foundation
Eat ‘n Park Restaurants, Inc.
ESB Bank
First Commonwealth Bank
Henry C. Frick Educational Fund of The Buhl
Foundation
The Huntington National Bank
GENCO Supply Chain Solutions
The Grable Foundation
Hefren-Tillotson, Inc.
The Heinz Endowments
Net Health Systems
Peoples Natural Gas
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
Pennsylvania Department of Community and
Economic Development
PNC Bank
PPG Industries, Inc.
Richard King Mellon Foundation
James M. and Lucy K. Schoonmaker
Foundation
Edith L. Trees Charitable Trust
UPMC Health Plan
Hilda M. Willis Foundation
Cover photo by Duane Rieder, 2014. Artists: Christine
Schwaner and Alexander Silva. Production Guide created
by PBT’s Department of Education and Community
Engagement, 2014. Many thanks to Laura Bouffard for
content and editorial.
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Contents
4
About the Novel
4
The Author: Don Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
3
About the Ballet
6
The Setting and Characters
7
The Synopsis
8
The Composer: Ludwig Minkus
9
The Music: Listening Guide
11
The Choreographers
12
The Choreography
13
The Language of the Fan
14
The Costumes
15
Don Quixote in Arts and Culture
16
How the Critics Responded
Resources and References
17
The Benedum Center
Accessibility
3
About the Novel
The ballet Don Quixote is based on an episode taken from
the famous novel Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de
Cervantes Saavreda. Published in two volumes, in 1605 and
1615, the book follows the adventures of Alonso Quixana, a
member of the hildago, or Spanish nobility. He sets out to
revive chivalry, under the pseudonym “Don Quixote.” He
recruits a simple farmer, Sancho Panza, as his squire, whose
earthy wit and world-weariness often act as a foil to Don
Quixote’s high-minded idealism.
Although often labeled as a parody of the romances of
Cervantes’ time, the novel is also a rich, philosophical work.
Don Quixote is a masterful study of morality, deception, love,
sanity and the human condition. It has inspired other writers
as well as artists, including Pablo Picasso. The character of
Don Quixote is now so well known that the word quixotic
owes its origin to the extravagant romanticism of the title
character.
Don Quixote de la Mancha and Sancho Panza, by Gustave Doré, ca. 1863
The Author: Don Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Don Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1551-1616) was born in Alcala de
Henares, Spain, the son of a poor Spanish doctor. His childhood was
spent moving from town to town with his family, and this nomadic theme
would shape his whole life. In his early twenties he spent a year in the
service of a Roman Cardinal. Shortly after, in 1571, he sailed with the
galley fleet of the Holy League (the Pope’s alliance of almost all the major
Catholic maritime states in the Mediterranean) to defeat the Ottoman fleet
in the Gulf of Lepanto near Corinth. Although he had "the fever," he
refused to refrain from battle. He received three gunshot wounds, one of
which was to his left hand, which he was never able to use again.
In September of 1575 he headed home to Spain on the galley "Sol" from
Naples to Barcelona. As they approached the coast, a band of Algerian
Portrait c.1600
corsairs (pirates) attacked the ship. After a valiant fight many crew members, including the captain,
were slain. The surviving passengers, including Cervantes, were captured and enslaved in Algeria.
He made four unsuccessful escape attempts, and it was five years before his family was able to
ransom his return to Spain in 1580.
He began his writing career in 1585 with his first major work, La Galatea, and some plays, though
much of this early work was lost. Until he settled in Madrid 1606, his writing was merely an avocation and it was through his purveying and tax collection business that he made a living. It was not
until the first volume of the novel Don Quixote was published in 1605 that Cervantes was able to
make a living with his writing.
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About The Ballet
Early Don Quixote Ballets
1740 Franz Hilverding, Vienna
1743 Paris Opera
1768 Jean-Georges Noverre, Vienna
1783 Paolo Franchi, La Scala, Milan
1792 Antoine Pitrot, La Scala, Milan
1801 Louis-Jacques Milon, Paris
Opera, Les Noces de Gamache
(Gamache’s Wedding). First time the
Kitri-Basilio story is used.
1808 Charles Louis Didelot, St. Petersburg (Don Kikhot). First Russian
production.
1837 August Bournonville, Copenhagen
1839 Paolo Taglioni (brother of Marie Taglioni), Berlin. Don Chisciotte.
1843 Salvatore Taglioni, Turin
The ballet Don Quixote has a history dating to 1740 when
it was first staged in Vienna. Over the next century there
were several different ballets created throughout Europe
based on the story of Don Quixote. Marius Petipa was
asked to create a ballet of Don Quixote for the Imperial
Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in 1869.
As with all ballets, especially in the 19th century, each
staging included changes and revisions, at first by Petipa
and later by others. In 1871 Petipa staged a new version
for the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg. He reworked the
choreography, and Ludwig Minkus, the composer,
completely reworked the score.
In 1900, Russian choreographer Alexander Gorsky was
invited to revive Don Quixote for the Bolshoi. There was a
renaissance of the arts going on in Russia, and Gorsky
"resolved to produce [it] not in accordance with established practice but more on the lines advocated by the
Moscow Art Theatre, which proclaimed the new theory of
unity of artistic conception." He commissioned the
painters Korovin and Golovin to create sets and
costumes. A very important change was in the role of the
corps de ballet. They were no longer just background for
main characters but became an integral part of the whole.
In 1902 this production was staged in St. Petersburg at
the Maryinsky Theatre. It became a permanent part of
the Bolshoi repertoire and even survived the Russian
Revolution while many other ballets did not.
The first performance of this new Don Quixote premiered outside of Russia in 1924 when the
famous ballerina Anna Pavlova took her small company on tour and performed a shortened
version. The full-length version was not performed in the West until Ballet Rambert staged
it in England in 1962. In 1980 Mikhail
Baryshnikov staged it for American Ballet
Theatre. Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has
produced Don Quixote in 1985, 1988, 19913,
1998, 2003, and 2007.
This is a joyous, festive, and funny ballet. The
choreography is some of the most spectacular
ever created. It is classical in style and movement vocabulary with elements of Spanish
rhythms and flair both in the dancing and the
music. The Grand Pas de Deux in the wedding
scene of Act II is such a showstopper that it is
often performed as a stand-alone work.
Alexandre Silva and Christine Schwaner in the Grand
Pas de Deux from Don Quixote. Photo by Rich
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The Setting and Characters
Choreography:
Music:
Marius Petipa and
Alexander Gorsky
Lighting Design:
Christina Giannelli
Set Design:
Thomas Boyd
Ludwig Minkus
World Premiere:
December 14, 1869
Costume Design: Judanna Lynn
Don Quixote: an aging gentleman inspired by
tales of knights and chivalry
Sancho Panza: Don Quixote’s loyal squire
Kitri: the daughter of the innkeeper
Basilio: the barber who is in love with Kitri
Gamache: a rich nobleman whom Kitri’s father
intends her to marry
Lorenzo: Kitri’s father, an innkeeper
Mercedes: a gypsy street dancer
Espada: a Spanish toreador of noble bearing
Dulcinea: Don Quixote’s ideal woman
Photo by Rich Sofranko, 2007
Additional Characters:
Flower Girls
Gypsy Couple
Dryads
Queen of the Dryads
Amour
Innkeeper
Toreadors
Spanish Ladies
Sequidillas
Gypsies
Classical Ladies
Did You Know?
A dryad is a wood nymph or female tree spirit derived from the Greek
word “drys,” or “oak.” The most famous dryad is Euryidice, daughter of
the god Apollo. Don Quixote encounters these lovely creatures in his
dream in the enchanted forest. Dryads also appear in Léo Delibes’ ballet
Sylvia.
Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein, Orpheusand Eurydice, 1806
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The Synopsis
Prologue
Driven by the vision of Dulcinea the ideal woman, the tarnished (yet inspired) Don Quixote
begins his adventure with his trusty squire Sancho Panza in tow.
Act I – Sevilla
Kitri, Lorenzo's daughter, is in love with Basilio. Much to her chagrin, she learns of her father's
plan to marry her to Gamache, a foppish nobleman. Don Quixote and Sancho Panza enter the
village, causing great commotion. Noticing Kitri, Don Quixote wonders if he has, at last, found
his Dulcinea. At the height of merriment, Kitri and Basilio, aided by their friends Espada and
Mercedes, sneak off—followed by Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Gamache and Lorenzo
attempt to pursue the young people.
Act II Scene I – Gypsy Camp
The fleeing couple is discovered in a friendly gypsy camp by Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.
All are inspired by the romance of the night. As the vision of Dulcinea appears to him, Don
Quixote realizes Kitri is not his ideal, but belongs with Basilio. Suddenly, the wind gains momentum. Don Quixote foolishly attacks a windmill, believing it to be a giant threatening Dulcinea's
safety. Failing miserably, he collapses into a deep sleep.
Act II Scene II – The Dream
Don Quixote has an enchanted dream of beautiful maidens in which the image of Kitri
symbolizes his Dulcinea.
Act II Scene III – Sunrise
Lorenzo and Gamache interrupt Don Quixote's dream. Sympathetic to the plight of the young
lovers, Don Quixote attempts to lead the two men astray.
Act II Scene IV – In the Tavern
Finally discovered, Kitri is forced by Lorenzo to accept the attentions of Gamache. The thwarted
Basilio commits "suicide." Upon learning of the farce, Kitri implores Don Quixote to persuade
Lorenzo to wed her to the "corpse." Instantly Basilio comes to life! Triumphantly, Kitri leaves to
prepare for marriage, and Don Quixote and Basilio salute Lorenzo and Gamache for stoically
accepting the inevitable.
Act III Scene I – The Wedding
The village celebrates the marriage. Don Quixote congratulates the couple, bids them warm
farewell and resumes his everlasting adventures.
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The Composer: Ludwig Minkus
Ludwig Minkus (also known as Léon Minkus) was born on
March 23, 1826 in Vienna. Although little is known of his personal life, he was married and had a daughter, Lyubov, who
became a corps de ballet dancer with the Imperial Ballet in St.
Petersburg, Russia.
In his early years, Minkus excelled at the violin. He studied
composition at the Vienna Conservatory and wrote some
salon pieces for violin, five of which were published. He started conducting and relocated to Paris for a career as a violinist
and conductor.
In 1853 he moved to St. Petersburg, becoming conductor of
the private orchestra of Prince Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov.
Three years later he moved to Moscow to serve as lead
violinist in the orchestra of the Moscow Imperial Bolshoi
Theatre. Through several prestigious appointments—
including Concertmaster at the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre and
violin professor at the new Moscow Conservatory—Minkus
Maestro Minkus, photo by Braquehais
became friends with the French ballet master Arthur SaintLéon. In 1862, Saint-Léon’s first commission for Minkus began his almost thirty-year career as
ballet composer for two titans of nineteenth century ballet: Arthur Saint-Léon and Marius Petipa. His
first full-length ballet score was an 1863 commission by Saint-Léon for Fiametta, which premiered
that year in Moscow. Both Saint-Léon and Petipa began
Ballet Music By Minkus
to rely on Minkus for musical compositions for their
Fiametta (Love’s Flame or The Salaman- ballets.
der ), 1863
La Source, 1866 (with Delibes)
Don Quixote, 1869
Camargo, 1872
Le Papillon (The Butterfly), 1874
Les Brigands (The Bandits), 1875
La Bayadère (The Temple Dancer), 1877
Following the death of Saint-Léon, Marius Petipa was
appointed Premier Ballet Master in Chief at the St.
Petersburg Imperial Theatres, and Ludwig Minkus
became Ballet Composer for the Court of His Imperial
Majesty. This began Minkus’s long and productive collaboration with Marius Petipa that produced a number of
masterpieces in the 1870s and 80s.
While performing his duties as ballet composer, Minkus
continued performing as a violinist. He retired from his
post at the Imperial Theatres in 1886, and moved back to
La Fille des Neiges (The Daughter of the
Snows), 1879
Vienna in 1891 after finishing his last ballet, Kalkabrino.
He lived well on his Imperial pension until events of the
Paquita, 1881 (additional music)
Russian Revolution and World War I ended the payLa Nuit et le Jour (Night and Day), 1883
ments, and he died in poverty in December 1917. His
L'Offrandes à l'Amour
most impressive and celebrated accomplishments in the
(The Offerings to Cupid), 1886
ballet world remain Don Quixote and La Bayadere, two of
Les Pilules magiques (The Magic Pills), 1886 the world’s most enduring classical ballets.
Roxana or The Beauty from Montenegro,
1878
Kalkabrino, 1891
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The Music
Kitri’s Entrance (Allegretto)
As the beautiful, exquisite Kitri leaps onto stage, the dancers clap at the beginning of every 3/8 measure
(first excerpt). The lively opening music leads into a seductive interlude with a legato line in the violins
(second excerpt) followed by the return of the opening in a grandiose fashion. The last note of the number
is played dramatically after a delayed rest, indicated by a ’ in the score.
Kitri Variation (Allegro vivace)
In this brief but energetic number, string and upper woodwind glissandos lead up to the accented vivace
melody. The brass support the strings’ and woodwinds’ melody with constant sixteenth note pattern. The
music accelerandos to the end as Kitri twirls in pirouettes.
Coda: Basilio and Kitri make their escape (Allegro vivace)
In this excited number, sf chords lead up to a repeated staccato melody in a quick 2/4 time signature (first
excerpt). In the PBT production, the dancers clap on each eighth note as rising tones build up excitement.
After the ascending passage, the tempo slows suddenly in a brief forte passage (second excerpt), followed
by a return of the opening section. Suddenly the music-switches to 3/4 time as Kitri flees from the stage
(third excerpt). A series of accented chords build to the end of Act I.
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Gypsy Dance
This number opens with a series of dramatic chords that lead into a wild gypsy dance with tambourine on the
off-beats (first excerpt). With some of the ballet’s most unconventional dancing, the gypsy dance even features the gypsy falling dramatically to the floor during an interlude of an elegant harp-filled romantic melody
(second excerpt) before the energetic opening returns. Trilling woodwinds build up to a climax, and Don
Quixote falls into his dream.
Kitri Variation
Part of the Grand Pas de Deux, Kitri’s variation is one of the most delicate numbers of the ballet. Announced by harp glissandos, the music proceeds into a flute soli with pizzicato strings and harp accompaniment as Kitri remains on pointe with a tutu and fans herself playfully. The music slows for a bouncing section then accelerandos into a repeat of the opening section, ending with a spirited upward run.
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Glossary of Musical Terms
Pizzicato—played with plucked strings
Staccato—short articulation
Accelerando—to speed up
Strings—wooden instruments with strings, played by
Allegro—quick, lively tempo
Brass instruments—metal wind instruments, includ- bowing or plucking, including: violins, violas, celli, and
ing: trumpet, trombone, French horn, euphonium, and double bass
Tempo—pace of the music
tuba
Chord—a set of three or more notes played together Time signature—an indication of rhythm and beat.
2/4 is felt in two beats that are each divided into even
f (forte)—loud
numbers of smaller beats; 6/8 is felt in two beats that
Glissando—A rapid slide through a series of consecare each divided into three smaller beats
utive tones in a musical passage
Vivace—lively and vivacious
Legato—in a smooth, even style
Woodwinds—wind instruments, most of them made
Melody—a musical line or statement comprising a
of wood, including: clarinet, oboe, flute, bassoon,
series of notes
bass clarinet, and English horn
The Choreographers
Marius Petipa (1818-1910), the “father of classical ballet,” was born in
Marseilles, France. He began dance training at the age of 7 with his father Jean Petipa, a French dancer and teacher. Marius was educated at
the Grand College in Brussels and also attended the conservatoire to
study music. In 1831 he made his debut in his father’s production of
Gardel’s La Dansomanie.
Jean Petipa became the Maitre de Ballet at the theatre in Bordeaux,
where Marius completed his education. At sixteen he became premier
danseur at the theatre in Nantes, where he also produced several short
ballets. He toured North America with his father, then spent a few years
dancing in Spain and Paris, and in 1847 he left for Russia.
As a principal dancer at the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatre, Petipa was much acclaimed for
his performances in such ballets as Paquita (which he restaged) Giselle, and Faust. Considered
an excellent dancer and partner, his acting, stage manners, and pantomime were held up
as examples for many generations of dancers.
In 1854 he became an instructor in the St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet School, while continuing
to dance and to restage French ballets. His first great success was The Daughter of Pharaoh,
which resulted in his appointment as Choreographer-in-Chief in 1862—a position he held
for nearly fifty years.
In 1869 Petipa became Premier Ballet Master of the Imperial Theatre. There he produced more
than sixty full-evening ballets and countless shorter works. The ballet repertoire in the Soviet Union is still based mainly on his works.
Toward the end of his career, Petipa’s classicism was considered old-fashioned, and in 1903, at
age 84, Petipa was forced to retire from the Imperial Theatre after the failure of his ballet The
Magic Mirror.
Today, Marius Petipa is considered one of the greatest choreographers of all time. He elevated
the Russian ballet to international fame and laid the cornerstone for twentieth-century ballet.
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Alexander Gorsky, (1871–1924), considered in Russia today a pioneer of
dramatically-oriented ballet realism, is best known for restaging Marius
Petipa’s classical ballets such as Swan Lake, Don Quixote, and The
Nutcracker. His interpretations of ballets were often controversial and he
often used artists outside the dance world to create sets and costumes.
He was born in 1871 outside of St. Petersburg, Russia. When he turned
eight he was accepted to the School of Commerce in St. Petersburg,
where is parents hoped he would go. Instead, he became a student at St.
Petersburg’s Imperial Ballet School.
Gorsky joined the ballet company and became a soloist dancer. In 1900
he was nominated to be principal male soloist of the St. Petersburg
Imperial Theatre, but was moved to the Ballet of the Moscow Imperial
Bolshoi Theatre as manager eight days later. Gorsky was late
named Premier Maître de Ballet of the Theatre. In addition to teaching, Alexander Gorsky
choreographed, restaged, and revived many ballets. He created many of his own ballets but it is
his restaging of Marius Petipa’s works that have become more well known.
By the end of 1904, Gorsky was teaching regularly in the school; his teaching was designed
to develop individual creativity, and he is credited with substituting the piano for the traditional
violin as class accompaniment. He served in several administrative organizations
associated with the ballet and worked to improve the quality of ballet training. He was welleducated and proficient in painting, writing, acting, and music.
Gorsky revived the Petipa/Ivanov version of La fille mal gardée for the first time in 1903, the
Petipa/Ivanov revival of Swan Lake in 1901, Petipa's Don Quixote in 1900, La Bayadère in 1904,
and Raymonda in 1905. His legacy also includes revisions to The Nutcracker and to Petipa's revival of Arthur Saint-Léon's The Little Humpbacked Horse in 1901.
The Choreography
The original choreography for Don Quixote was created by Marius Petipa for the 1869 world premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. He reworked it in 1871 for the Imperial Theatre in St. Petersburg, making substantial
changes to accommodate the
tastes of a more sophisticated
St. Petersburg audience. In the
new version we see what would
become Petipa’s signature style:
dramatic spectacle, the regal
posture and attitude, the symmetrical formations, and “pure”
dance in both the classical and
character sequences.
Kwang-Suk Choi and PBT artists; photo by Rich
Sofranko, 2007
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Russian choreographer Alexander Gorsky revised
the ballet twice at the turn of the 20th century. He
was most concerned with inserting realistic and
individualistic movements in the ballet—especially
for the corps de ballet. He reduced the ballet from
four to three acts and is thought to have added
several scenes as well as music, both by Minkus
and another composer, Anton Simon.
Don Quixote is filled with fun, physical humor and
fiery dancing, all topped off with a virtuosic wedding celebration, the Grand Pas de Deux, which is
often performed as a stand-alone ballet titled
Kitri’s Wedding. The ballet has even been staged
with horses. The Spanish-inspired dancing is considered some of the most complex and challenging choreography of any ballet.
Photo: Nurlan Abougaliv and Kumiko Tsuji, by Rich
Sofranko, 2007.
The Language of the Fan
The traditional Spanish flamenco dance makes dramatic use of fans in its choreography: fans appear
in Don Quixote to both add drama and authenticity to the movement. Fans came into use as a fashion
accessory early in the 19th century. A fan manufacturer devised a “Language of the Fan,” which
allowed a lady to flirt with her suitors across a crowded
room by using coded signals and eye contact.













Carrying in right hand in front of face: “Follow me.”
Carrying in left hand in front of face: “I am desirous of
your acquaintance.”
Placing it on left ear: “I wish to get rid of you.”
Drawing across the forehead: “You have changed.”
Twirling in left hand: “We are being watched.”
Carrying in right hand: “You are too willing.”
Drawing through the hand: “I hate you.”
Twirling in right hand: ”I love another.”
Drawing across the cheek: “I love you.”
Presented shut: “Do you love me?”
Threaten with the shut fan: “Do not be so imprudent.”
Gazing pensively at the shut fan: “Why do you misunderstand me?”
Pressing the half opened fan to the lips: “You may kiss
me.”
Adapted from the Guide for Classroom Teachers, San Francisco Ballet.
Right: Erin Halloran as Kitri, by Rich Sofranko, 2007.
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Costumes
Cloth moves, ‘dances,’ if you will. Chiffon does not move the same way as cotton or tulle when you do a
pirouette, for instance. Cloth is as much a visual expression as the person moving it. Does it lag behind the
‘note’? stop abruptly, etc? How does this affect the choreographic intent?
And what about color? I ‘see’ music in color if I close my eyes. I thought everybody did. It never occurred to
me that was rather unique, until a few years ago in a discussion with some friends.”
-Judanna Lynn
The lavish, exquisite costumes designed by
Judanna Lynn contribute to the Don Quixote’s
vibrant portrayal of past Spanish culture.
Colorful flowing fabrics, elaborate feathered
hats, and gypsy scarves all add to the impact
of the production.
For the 2014 production of the ballet,
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre is using Houston
Ballet’s physical production. (Ballet companies
routinely rent costumes and stage sets to
each other). The Don Quixote costumes have
been praised by audiences and critics alike,
including one critic who suggested that “the
exquisite and luminous costume designs of
Judanna Lynn would make a perfect fashion
museum show.”
Judanna Lynn, a former dancer with San
Francisco Opera Ballet and former resident costume designer of The Juilliard School, has designed
costumes for most of the major American dance companies, including San Francisco Ballet, Boston
Ballet, BalletMet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and Washington Ballet. Her work for
Houston Ballet has been highly acclaimed, with its productions of Don Quixote, Cleopatra, and
Dracula (which is co-owned by
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre). She is
also a painter whose work has
been seen at the Rizzoli and
Miniatura Galleries in New York
City, the Philadelphia Museum of
Fine Art, and private collections.
Top: Viengsay Valdes and Jonathan Jordan
in The Washington Ballet’s 2009 performance
of Don Quixote. Photo by Carol Pratt. Left:
Stephen Hadala and PBT artists in the 2011
production of Dracula, with costumes by Judanna Lynn. Photo by Rich Sofranko.
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Don Quixote in Arts and Culture
In addition to ballets, the story of Don Quixote has inspired
works in other art forms since it was first published by Miguel
de Cervantes Saavedra in 1605 and 1615.
Film
 Don Quixote, a 1923 British silent film directed by Maurice
Elvey
 Adventures of Don Quixote, a 1933 film directed by G. W.
Pabst
 Don Quixote de la Mancha, a 1947 Spanish film directed
by Rafael Gil
The musical featured James Coco as Sancho, Peter
 Don Quixote, a 1957 Soviet drama film directed by Grigori O’Toole as Don Quixote and Sophia Loren as Dulcinea.
Kozintsev
 Man of La Mancha, a 1972 film adaptation of the Broadway musical, directed by Arthur Hiller
 Don Quixote, a 2000 film directed by Peter Yates
 Donkey Xote, a 2007 Spanish-Italian animated film directed by Jose Pozo
 Don Quixote, a 2010 Chinese film directed by Ah Gan
Broadway
Man of La Mancha, 1967, which ran for 2,328 performances and won five Tony Awards
Art
In 1955 Pablo Picasso’s ink drawing of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza was
featured in the French weekly journal Les Lettres Françaises in celebration
of the 350th anniversary of the first part of Cervantes’s Don Quixote.
Opera
 Don Chisciotte in Sierra Morena (1719), by the Italian composer Francesco Bartolomeo Conti
 Don Quichotte (1864), rearranged by Victorien Sardou and CharlesLouis-Etienne Nuitter with music by Maurice Renaud
 Don Quixote (1898), by the Austrian composer Wilhelm Kienzl
 Don Quichotte (1910), by the French composer Jules Massenet
 Don Quijote (2000), by the Spanish composer Cristóbal Halffter
Picasso’s 1955 sketch, Don
Quixote. picasso-art.com.
Music
 Don Quixote, Op. 35, an 1897 tone poem by Richard Strauss for cello, viola and orchestra, subtitled "Fantasy Variations on a Theme of Knightly Character"
 Don Quixote, a 1972 folk album by singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot
 Don Quichotte à Dulcinée, a 1932 three-song cycle by Maurice Ravel
 "Don Quixote," a 1984 song by British pop singer Nik Kershaw
 "Don Quichotte," a 1984 song by French synthpop group Magazine 60
 "Don Quichotte," a 1989 song by German crooner Drafi Deutscher
 "Don Quijote," a 1981 song by Hungarian pop group Neoton Familia
 "Don Quixote," a 2010 song by the band Coldplay
15
How the Critics Responded
Dreaming is one of the things Don Quixote does best, which provides the basis for one of the ballet's
most memorable scenes. The old knight dreams of beautiful young women, prompting extended
dances for the women of the corps with arresting solos
- Mark Kanny, TribLIVE, October 2007
Orr and ballet mistress Marianna Tcherkassky have imbued (the cast) with a clear sense of Kitri,
Basilio and the other characters they are to portray. “I have the dancers act in a manner one would
in a play or movie only with out speaking," says Orr. "I think this is much more involving and interesting to audiences than watching traditional dance mime."
-Steve Sucato, Pittsburgh City Paper, October 2007
The ballet requires a virtuoso technique combined with a risky playfulness.
-Jane Vranish, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, October 2007
Orr upped the ante by producing a bravura, almost Bolshoi effect, particularly in the male groupings.
The storyline rarely led action. Instead, the scenario was simple: One dance unfolded like a series of
ruffles, everyone going virtually at full tilt and trying to outdo each other.
-Jane Vranish, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, May 16, 1998
Resources and References
The following resources are available in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh system. Please check
their website for call numbers as they vary throughout the system.
Balanchine , George. 101 Stories of the Great Ballets: the Scene-by-scene Stories of the Most
Popular Ballets, Old and New. Anchor Publishing, 1975.
Cervantes Saavreda, Miguel de. Don Quixote, translated by Edith Grossman. New York: Ecco,
2005.
Rosenberg, Jane. Dance Me a Story: Twelve Tales from the Classic Ballets. London: Thames &
Hudson, 1995.
Sturman, Marianne. Don Quixote: notes (CliffsNotes). Lincoln NE: Cliffs Notes, 1964.
DVDs
Don Quixote (Kitri’s Wedding): A ballet in three acts. American Ballet Theater: Baryshnikov after
Gorsky and Petipa, 2003.
Man of La Mancha, MGM Home Entertainment, original movie musical, 1972.
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The Benedum Center
The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts is the crown
jewel of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and the Cultural District in downtown Pittsburgh. It was renovated in 1987
and is on the National Register of Historic Landmarks.
The 2800 seat theatre used to be the Stanley Theater,
still visible on the lighted marquees outside. It has the
third largest stage in the United States measuring 144
feet wide by 78 feet deep. The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre,
Pittsburgh Opera, and Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera all
use the Benedum for their performances.
Learn more about the Benedum Center. Investigate the Stanley Theatre’s role in music history
here in Pittsburgh.
Accessibility
PBT is committed to being an inclusive arts organization that serves everyone in the greater Pittsburgh community through its productions and programs.
In conjunction with the Benedum Center for Performing Arts, the following accessibility services
are provided to patrons:

Wheelchair accessibility

Braille and large print programs

Assistive listening devices

Audio recordings of select program notes

Sign Language Interpretation provided by special request only. Please contact the Education
Department (see contact information below) at least 2 weeks in advance. Thank you!

Audio-described performances (Sunday, April 13, 2014 at 2 pm for Don Quixote).
For more information about all of these programs please visit the accessibility page on PBT’s
website. Should you have a special request that is not listed above or have any questions about
our accessibility services, please do not hesitate to contact Alyssa Herzog Melby, Director of Education and Community Engagement, at 412-454-9105 or [email protected].
For more information about the accessibility services at the Benedum Center for the Performing
Arts, please visit their accessibility page.
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